Float switch



Feb. 27, 1940. e. w. HEINDEI. 2,191,758

FLOAT SWITCH Filed April 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In venlor ffma'zu Z- gfl aarinm 6 A Home):

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Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES FLOAT SWITCH George W. Heindel, York, re...

Application April 12,

1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to means for warning of a full condition of a tank, and particularly to an arrangement especially applicable to the fuel tank of an oil burner, and operating for the purpose of warning the driver of the fuel oil supply truck at a distance from the tank that i the tank is full, thereby eliminating the necessity on the part of the fuel truck driver of approach ing the tank itself and observing the depth of the fuel therein, and an important object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient'arrangement of this character which can be easily installed in existing oil burner tank arrangements and the like. 1

Other important objects of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have I shown a preferred embodiment of my invention. 20 In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general longitudinal sectional View taken through a portion. of a building and showing a fuel oil tank installed therein and equipped in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a wiring diagram.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional View taken through the upper part of the tank and through the float operatedswitch mechanism.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional. view taken through Figure 3 approximately on the line 4-4 and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken through Figure 3 approximately on the line 5-5 and looking toward the right in the direction of the arrows.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates the basement of a building having a wall 6 projecting above the ground 1, and the numerals 8 and 9 designate respectively a filling pipe and a vent extending through the wall ii for convenient use of the driver of the fuel oil supply truck. In addition there is mounted on the exterior of the wall 6 and readily accessible to the said driver without approaching the tank H! a mounting ll comprising a bell or buzzer I 2 and a hand switch l3. A suitable conduit [4 is passed through the wall 6 to bring the necessary conductors to the alarm I2 and the hand switch 13 and this conduit I 4 extends to the float switch 45 which is mounted on the tank It within the building. It is obvious that the filling pipe 8, the vent 9, and the electrical conduit I4 may be extended to any PATENT OFFICE 1938, Serial No. 201,641

desirable length, to enable bringing them to an exterior point on the building readily accessible to the driver of the fuel truck.

The fuel tank l8 may be of any desirable form and has in its top a threaded opening l6 sur- 6 mounted by a washer I! through both of which is threaded a portion [8 on the float tube [9 which has abovethe washer ll an annular boss 28 and below the tank top 2! a bottom 22 provided with an opening 23. The float tube I9 extends above the boss and merges into the bottom of a casing 24. A preferably cylindrical float 25 operates in the float tube [9 and when the fuel within the tank reaches the full level, the rounded upper end 26 0f thefloat 25 moves up 15 into the casing 24 and engages and raises the plate 21 which is secured to the lower end of one arm of the beam 28 which is pivoted intermediate its ends as indicated by the numeral 29 to and between ears 3!], 3| on a U-shaped support 32, the 20 said beam 28 being of conductive character and the arm 28 thereof being adapted to be normally depressed by gravity when not engaged by the float 25. When the tank Ill is full the float will push the beam 28 up into engagement with the 26 contact 34 which includes a threaded shank 35 passing through and insulated from an opening 36 in the removable top 31 of the casing 24, the said shank being insulated by the insulating block 38, and a nut 39 is threaded on the shank 35 to 30 clamp the contact in place on the cover 31. A wire 40 leads from the contact 34, as indicated in Figure 2 to the arm 4| of the manual switch I3 whose opposite side is connected as indicated by the numeral 42 to one side of the bell or buzzer 35 43, whose opposite side is connected by the wire 44 to one output terminal of a transformer 45 or other suitable source of low voltage current. The opposite terminal of the transformer 45 is connected by a wire 45130 the pivot 29 of the beam 4 28, the wire 46 being led into the casing through a grommet equipped Opening 4?. Suitable wires 48 leading from a house current supply energize the transformer 45.

The U-shaped beam support 32 includes at the 5 end thereof adjacent the float the inturned horizontal arms 49 which act as stops to prevent the beam 28 from falling too far downwardly, although these arms permit the beam 28 to fall sufliciently awayfrom the contact 34 to break 50 the circuit which is established when the beam engages the contact 34.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the structureand arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A float operated switch comprising a casing, a substantially U-shaped bracket having its bight connected with an intermediate part of the bottom of the casing, an elongated flat switch arm having an intermediate part thereof pivoted between the limbs of the bracket adjacent the upper end of the bracket, each limb having a forwardly extending part, the upper end of which is bent over, said bent over portions forming stops for limiting downward movement of the front end of the arm, said front end of the arm being of greater weight than the rear portion whereby said front portion tends to drop by gravity and to normally rest upon the bent portions, a contact member passing through a hole in the top of the casing and insulated from said top and having a portion adapted to be engaged by the front part of the switch arm when the arm is raised, a tubular part depending from the bottom of the casing and adapted to enter a tank, the bottom of the tubular part having an opening therein for the admission of liquid from the tank into the tubular part and an elongated tubular float in the tubular part having its upper end adapted to engage the switch arm, to raise the same against the contact, when the float is raised.

GEORGE WM. HEINDEL. 

